Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-06-11

OA @AOA
fully entered q factory, while Medic
IA, taking her stand on the platform
of a false gentility, had done fine
sewing and silk embroidery on the
sly to support herself, putting on all
the airs of a young lady of fashion
the while. And now Aunt Deborah
May, to the infinite disgust of her
aristocratically inclined niece, had
actually opened a little low-window-
ed shop in a shady street just out Of
the main thoroughfare, and, as Me-
dora despairingly expressed it, "gone
into trade"
For Aunt Debby, in her bewilder-
ed lonliness, had scarcely known
what to do until Grace Craxall came
to the rescue with her hopeful cour-
age and straightforward common
sense.
"I'm so helpless" sighed the poor
old lady, "that 1 feel sometimes il
would be better if were dead"
"Now, Aunt Debby, that doesn't
sound a bit like you," said Grace,
cheerfully.
"But what am 1 to do?" said Aunt
Deborah.
"What can you do?" said Grace.
81 don't know as 1 am good fol-
anything" said the old lady with q
quiet tear or two, ''except to helI
around the house, and 1 amt strong
enough for regular hired help. You
uncle always used to say 1 was 6
master hand at making bread"
"Then make it," brightly interrupt
ed Grace.
"Eh?" said Aunt Debby.
"There's a nice little store to let or
Bay street," went on Grace, ''for $1(
a month"
"But I haven't got $40 a month";
feebly interrupted Aunt Debby.
"I'll lend it to you," said Grace
"out of the wages 1 have saved. Ant
there's a pretty bedroom n at the back
of the shop and clean, dry basemen'
under it, where you can bake you
bread. 1 know, for the sister of thu
lady where l board is looking fol
dressmaking rooms and l heard he,
speaking aboutit."
"Do you mean to open a bakery?'
said the bewildered aunt Debby.
"Not exactly that" explained
Grace. "But if Mrs. Hewitt or MR.
Taylor, or any of the ladies arounc
here, could get real homemade bread
such as you make, do you supposi
they would put up with what they
get at the baker shops? And vol
could easily get up. a reputation OF
your raisin cakes, and fried crullers
and New England pumpkin pies
Now couldn't your"
The old lady frightened up a little
81 used to be pretty good at cook
ing," said she, land if you think
could support myself"
81 am sure of itn cried Cheerful
Grace. "And I'll go there with vol
this very day to look at the place, IAN,
will engage it for three months OF
trial. And I can paint you a sign t
put over your door, 'Home-mad
Bread by Mrs. Deborah May!' An,
I'll hem you some curtains and al
range the shelves in the low window
L almost wish / was going to be yon
shop-girl," she added merrily. "Bu
[ can help you in the evening, yo
know"
Grace CraXall's prophecies prove
correct. Aunt Debby's deIiciou
homemade bread, whittier than pow
dered lilies, sweet as ambrosia, 500
acquired a reputation, and the oil
lady could scarcely bake it fas
enough. People came half a doze
blocks to buy the yellow pumpki
pies and delicious apple tarts; chi
dren brought their boarded pennie
to invest in chocolate sweetmeat
vanilla caramels and cream cake
with puffy shells and delicious centre
of sweetness. The little money
drawer grew fat with coins and Aur
Debby's dim eyes grew bright an
hopeful again.
And one day Mr.. Herbert Valance
walking by with Medora May, stol
ped and looked in.
"Isn't that your cousin Grace,
said he, "behind the coynter?"
Medora turned crimson with vext
ton.
my COUSIN Grace?" said sh.
"No, indeed. We are not in trade.
What possessed her to utter this d
liberate falshood Medora could NJ
afterwards have told. Partly IL